Electric impulse transmitting system



Spt. 1, 1936. 45 STEWART 2,053,118

ELECTRIC IMPULSE TRANSMITTING SYSTEM Filed May ll 1935 Fig. l. 6f:

' Inventor: CI gde E. Stewart;

latented Sept. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES ELECTRIC ImULSE TRANSDHTTING SYS'EEM Clyde 1]. Stewart, Upper Darby, Pa, assignor to I 7 General Electric Gompany, a corporation of New York Application May 11, 1935, Serial No. 21,063 lClaims. (Cl.175-320) My invention relates to electric impulse transmitting systems and particularly to such systems for transmitting direct current impulses.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an arrangement for transmitting direct current impulses of the same or opposite polarity through an electric circuit containing insulating transformers.

My invention will be better understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 of which diagrammatically illustrates an electric impulse transmitting system embodying my invention and Fig. 2 of which is a modification of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to Fig. 1, the electric impulse transmitting system includes an electric circuit I, one end of which is connected to the secondary winding 2 of an insulating transformer 3 and the other end of which is connected to the primary winding 4 of an insulating transformer 5. Connected to the primary winding 6 of the insulating transformer 3 is a direct current impulse transmitter of any well known type for causing direct current impulses of a predetermined polarity to flow through the primary winding 6. As shown in the drawing, this impulse transmitter consists of a source of direct current 1, one terminal of which is permanently connected to one terminal of the primary winding 6 and the other terminal of which is arranged to be connected to and disconnected from the other terminal of the primary winding 6 by means of a manually controlled switch 8. Connected acrpss the secondary winding 9 of the insulating transformer 5 is my improved impulse receiving means which is shown as the operating winding Ill of a polarized relay i i of the well known type which, when its operating winding becomes deenergized, maintains its movable armature 12 in whichever position to which it was moved the last time the operating winding was energized sufliciently to operate the relay.

Each time the switch 8 is closed in the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 to cause direct current to flow through the primary winding 6 of the transformer 3, the current change that occurs in this primary winding G'induces in the secondary winding 2 a unidirectional voltage impulse, the front portion of which is. much steeper than the back portion thereof. This unidirectional voltage impulse causes a corresponding unidirectional current impulse to flow through the circuit I and the primary winding 4 of the insulating transformer 5. This current impulse in turn causes a single cycle of alternating current to flow through the secondary winding 9 and the operating winding I of relay I i. Due to the fact that the front of the current impulse in the primary winding 4 is much steeper than the back part thereof, only the first half-cycle of the alternating current flowing through the operating winding l0, which is the portion of the alternating current impulse produced by the increasing direct current in the 10 primary winding 4, is of sufficient magnitude to effect the operation of the movable armature l2.

Each time the switch 8 is opened, there is induced in the secondary winding 2 and the circult i a unidirectional current impulse of the same shape and magnitude, but of. opposite polarity, as is produced when the switch 8 is closed. This unidirectional current impulse of opposite polarity causes a single cycle of alternating current to flow through the secondary winding 9 and the operating winding 10 of relay H which is of the same character as the cycle of current that flows when the switch 3 is closed except that the polarities of the two half-cycles are reversed. Consequently, if the initial half-cycle of current. which is the operating half-cycle, is in such a direction when the switch 8 is closed as to cause the relay H to close its contacts i3, the initial half-cycle of current which fiows when the switch 8 is opened is in the proper direction to cause the relay H to open its contacts l3.

In the modification of. Fig. 1 shown in Fig. 2, I provide an arrangement whereby direct current impulses of opposite polarity can be transmitted through the two insulating transformers 3 and 4 and the circuit I.

In order to produce impulses of opposite polarity in the primary winding 6 of the insulating transformer 3, one terminal of the primary winding 6 is shown connected to the middle or neutral terminal of a suitable source of direct current 1, such as a battery, and the other terminal of the primary winding 6 is arranged to be connected to and disconnected from the positive and negative terminals of the source 1 by a suitable switch 8.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2, the relay H of the impulse receiving means is also a polarized relay but is of the type in which the movable armature thereof is returned to a neutral position by suitable centering springs 20 when the relay isde-energized, from which position it ismoved in one direction to effect the closing of the contacts l3 when an impulse of a suflicient magnitude flows through the operating winding! in one direction and from which it is moved in the opposite direction to effect the closing of the contacts l4 when an impulse of a suficient magnitude flows through the operating winding it in the opposite direction. The relay II is also provided with a holding winding I5 which is connected to the contacts i3 and i4 and a suitable source of direct current l6 and which is magnetically coupled to the operating winding I0 so that when the contacts 13 are closed in response to a current impulse of a predetermined polarity through the winding ID a circuit is completed for the winding l5 through the contacts l3 and the source l6 so that the current in the winding it produces a fiux in the magnetic structure of the relay in the same direction as the flux produced by the current impulse which caused the relay to close its contacts l3. Similarly, when the contacts I 4 are closed in response to an impulse of the opposite polarity through the winding ID, a circuit is completed for winding 15 through the contacts l4 and the source I6 so that the current in the winding l5 sets up a flux in the magnetic structure of the relay in the same direction as the flux produced by the current impulse which caused the relay H to close its contacts Id. The contacts i3 and Hi when closed, also complete energizing circuits for suitable control relays l7 and I8, respectively.

Each time the switch 8 is closed in the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 so as to cause an impulse of direct current to flow through the primary winding 6 of the transformer 3 in a predetermined direction, a direct current impulse of a predetermined polarity fiows through the circuit i and causes an alternating current impulse to flow through the secondary winding Q of transformer 5 and the operating winding it of relay II, in the same manner as in Fig. 1. The alternating current impulse that flows through the winding I0 causes the relay i i to close one of its contacts as in Fig. 1. For the purpose of this descriptiomit will be assumed that it closes the contacts 43, thereby completing an energizing circuit for the holding winding l5 and the control relay H. The direction of current flow through the holding winding 65 is such as to maintain the relay contacts l3 closed after the operating current impulse through the winding II] has ceased to flow. When it is desired to open the contacts i3 and de-energize the control relay H, the switch 8 is restored to its neutral position, thereby interrupting the fiow of current through the primary winding 6 of the transformer 3, which causes, as described in connection with Fig. 1, an impulse of current to flow through the winding l0 that is in the oppositedirection to the current in the winding i5. Consequently, the flux in the relay II is reduced to such a value that the centering springs 20 open the contacts i3 and restore the relay to its neutral position.

Each time the switch 8 is closed so as to cause direct current to flow through the primary winding 6 of the transformer 3 in the opposite direction, the impulse of current that fiows through the winding ill causes the relay i l to close its contacts M and thereby complete an energizing circuit for the holding winding i5 and the control relay Hi. The direction of current flow through the holding winding 95 is now in such a direction as to maintain the relay contacts M closed. When it is desired to open the contacts M in order to de-energize the control relay i8,

- the switch 8 is restored to its neutral position,

thereby interrupting the flow of current through lectively operate'the relays H and i8 by transmitting impulses of opposite polarity through an electric circuit containing insulating transformers.

While I have, in accordance with the patent statutes, shown and described my invention as applied to a particular system and as embodying various devices diagrammatically indicated, changes and modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and I therefore aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an impulse transmitting system, two transformers, an electric circuit interconnecting the secondary winding of one of said transformers and the primary winding of the other of said transformers, means for producing direct current impulses of opposite polarity through the primary winding of said one of said transformers, and impulse receiving means including a three position polarized relay having an operating winding connected to the secondary winding of said other of said transformers, a holding winding magnetically coupled to. said operating winding and means controlled by said relay in response to the movement of said relay from one of its three positions to either of its other two positions for completing an energizing circuit for said holding winding to maintain said relay in Whichever of said other two positions said relay is in.

2. In an impulse transmitting system, two transformers, an electric circuit interconnecting the secondary winding of one of said transformers and the primary winding of the other of said transformers, means for producing direct cur= rent impulses of opposite polarity through the primary winding of said one of said transformers, and impulse receiving means including a polarized relay having amovable armature normally biased to a predetermined position, an operating winding connected to the secondary winding of said other of said transformers for efiecting the movement of said armature in one direction from said predetermined position to a second predetermined position in response to an alternating current produced through said operating winding by said direct current impulses and having a first half cycle of a predetermined polarity and for efiecting the movement of said armature in the opposite direction from said first mentioned predetermined position to a third predetermined position in response to an alternating current produced through said operating winding by'said direct impulses and having a first half cycle of a polarity opposite to said predetermined polarity, a holding winding magnetically coupled to said operating winding, and

means controlled by said relay when said armature is in said second or third predetermined position for energizing said holding winding so 75 that'the current through it is in the proper direction to maintain it in whichever position it is in until an alternating current having a first half cycle of a predetermined polarity flows through said operating winding.

3. In an impulse transmitting system, an electric circuit, meansior causing direct current impulses of opposite polarity to flow through said circuit, a polarized relay having a winding inductively connected to said circuit and a movable element normally biasedto a neutral position and arranged to be moved in one direction from'the neutral podtion when said winding is traversedby' a predetermined amount of current in one direction and to be moved in the opposite direction from the neutral position when said winding is traversed by a predetermined amount of current in the other direction, and means controlled by said movable element when moved from its neutral position in response to the current induced in said winding by the current change occurring in said circuit when a direct current impulse is caused to flow therein for maintaining said relay sufliciently energized in the proper direction so that the current induced in said winding by the current change occurring in said circuit when the direct current impulse is terminated causes the movable element to move to its neutral position only.

4. In an impulse transmitting system, an elec-' tric circuit, a source of direct current, a polarized relay having a winding connected to said circuit and a movable element normally biased to a neutral position and arranged to be moved in one direction from the neutral position when said winding is traversed by a predetermined amount of current in one direction and to be moved in the opposite direction irom the neutral position when said winding is traversed by a predetermined amount- 0! current in the other direction, means for connecting said source to and disconnecting said source irom said circuit, a plurality of insulating transformers connected in said circuit at points intermediate the points where said source and winding are respectively connected, and means controlled by said movable element when moved from its neutral position in responseto the current induced in said winding when said source is connected to said circuit'for maintaining said relay energized sui-' flciently in the proper direction so that when the source is subsequently disconnected the induced current produced in said winding reduces the flux in said relay suiiiciently to allow the movable element to be restored to its neutral position.

CLYDE E. STEWART.

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